Loading apparatus



Aug. 2, 1949. J. REDINGTON LOADING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1946 5 INVENTOR JOHN- aeomerow ATTORNEYS FIG] A118. 1949. J. REDINGTON ,055-

' LOADING APPARATUS Filed June 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR JOHN.RED!NGTON Mam/ y r ATTORNEYS N Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,478,055 LOADING APPARATUS John Redington, Schumacher, Ontario, Canada Application June 15, 1946, Serial No. 676,923

This invention relates to a car loadin apparatu of the mechanically actuated shovel type adapted for use in mines, tunnels and other places where low ceilings and limited working space requires a compact car loading apparatus.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a simplified shovel actuat ng mechanism for swinging the shovel from a digging position to an overhead dumping position, and vice versa. The mechanism consists of a frame structure provided with rearwardly and downwardl extend ng guide rails secured to the side walls thereof. a pair of controlling arms having one end mounted on the frame struct re to rotate upwardly and rearwardly about a fixed horizontal axis, a shovel carrying assembly having a shovel secured to the lower end thereof and uide rail engaging means carried by the upper end thereof adapted to travel in said guide rails and means for moving sa d guide rail engaging means in said guide rails. The shovel carry ng as embly is pivotally connected at a suitably point intermediate the ends of said assemblv to the free ends of the controlling arms whereby the shovel is caused to swing from its dig ing osit on upwardly and rearwardly to its inverted dumping position about its pivotal connection to said controlling arms wh le the latter are rotated upwardly and rearwardly about the fixed horizontal axis when the upper end of said carrying assembly is moved'rearwardly and downwardl along the predetermined path of the guide rails.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cable chain or other suitable means for moving the up er end of the shovel carrying assembly along the guide rails, said cable chain being attached to a reversible actuating mechanism carried by the frame structure for controlling movement of the shovel to and from its dumping position. Although I presently prefer to use an air operated actuating mechanism, it is to be understood that any suitable actuatin mechanism within the scope of this invention may beemployed for this purpose.

A still further object, is to provide shock absorbing bumper means carried by the floor of said frame structure and positioned adjacent the base of the guide rails which are adapted to take up the shock of the shovel carrying assembly when it moves into its dumping position and also to facilitate the return movement of the empty shovel by imparting its initial momentum. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, I have shown a pair of shock absorbing compression springs mounted on abutments at the lower end 11 Claims. (Cl. 214-132) .T l 2 of the guide rails. However, any suitable shock absorbing means may be provided in lieu thereof.

Other objects, features and characteristic ad.- vantages of my :invention will be more readily appreciated from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of my invention, with a side wall of the frame structure removed to disclose the working parts of my shovel actuating mechanism. a

Fig. 2 is a rear end view (enlarged) of my car loading apparatus.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 desi nates a truck equipped with wheels 6 arranged to run on tracks 1. A turn-table 8 is mounted ontruck 5 and carries a framestructure 9 in which the component elements of my improved 'mine car, shovel actuating mechanism are arranged.

According to the preferred embodiment of my invention a scoop or shovel member in is rigidly atta ched to the lower end of a shovel carrying assembly comprising a pair of shovel st ckslla rigidly secured to-the side edges of a frame l2 arran edtherebetween. A cross-head I3 'is arranged at the top of frame I2 between the u per ends of the shovel sticks and is provided with transversely extend n trunnions 13a on which rollers I4 are arran ed to travel in curved guide rails l5 carried'by side walls l6 of the frame structure 9. The intermediate portion of the shovel carrying assembly is rovided with transversely extending trunnions I! to which a pair of controlling arms I8 have their front ends pivotally connected. The rear ends of said controlling arms are pivotally mounted on a pair of trans versely extending trunnions l9 carried by brackets 20 welded or otherwise secured to the under side of frame structure 9. The arms l8 are normally disposed in a horizontal position with portions of their length accommodated in a slot 2| provided in the floor 22 of the frame structure with the forward position of said arms in abutting engagement with said floor when the shovel is in its digging position as shown in full line in Fi 1. A cable chain '23 has one end secured to a cable chain attachment 24 carried by cross-head l3 of the shovel carrying assembly and the other end arranged to wind about a hoisting drum 1 26. Drum 26 has one end journalled in a bearing standard 21 and the other end journalled in a gear housing 28, said standard and said housing being carried by floor 22. A reversible motor 29 is carried by said housing and is geared to operate drum 26.

During the digging operation the shovel actuating mechanism is arranged, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 1, the shovel carrying assembly H being disposed in a substantially vertical position with the controlling arms extendin horizontally and having their forward portions in abuttting engagement with floor 22 and cable chain 23 fully extended. A truck driving motor 30, eared to drive the wheels 5, facilitates the scooping of shovel l0. causes the hoisting drum 26 to wind cable chain 23, pulling the cross-head l3. The rollers I4, travelling in guide rails l5,-cause-the upper end. of the shovel carrying assembly H tobe guided rearwardly and downwardly. At the same time,

When the shovel is filled, motor 28 the shovel carrying assembly is swung. from its.

digging to its inverted dumping position about .itslpivotal trunnion connections I! to the forward ends. of controlling arms l8, the latter being causedto travel. upwardly and rearwardly about their pivotal connections to the trunnions l9 by the rearward pull on theshovel carryin jassem- .bly, This rearward. movement of the parts conrear truck wheels to lift clear of the tracks.

Thus the forward-traction of the entire machine is maintained at a maximum.

Before the shovel carrying assembly can reach a vertical position in its dumping action, the cross head I3 strikes against shock absorbing compression:springs 3| mounted on abutments 32 located on floor 22' at the lower rear end of rails Hi. This positioning of the springs eliminates any racking and loosening of the side walls l6 which is a common source of troublein the usual device where the springs are carried'by a member which is fastened to the side walls. A bar 33 extends across the rear of the frame structure and is fastened to the ends ofthe side walls It. This'baracts as a further-stop member to prevent the shovel in its dumping action from reachingits vertical point of balance. The shock of striking springs 3| throws the load from the shovel and the compression springs then impart the initial reversing mometum to the empty shovel. The hoisting drum 26 isTeversed simultaneously as the cross head I3 contacts springs 3| to allow controlled return of the shovel to its digging position through reverse throttle control of motor 29.

To prevent anywear or damage to the motor 29 due to slackness in the cable chain, a channel member 34 is-positioned between said motor and cable chain 23. The channel member is provided with a felt padsaturated with oil'which the cable chain picks up for its own lubrication.

I claim:

1. A mine car loading apparatus of the mechanically actuated shovel type comprising a frame structure, rearwardly and' downwardly extending guide rail members secured to'the side walls of said frame structure, a pair of control- 4 ling arms having one end mounted on the frame structure to rotate upwardly and rearwardly about a fixed horizontal axis, a shovel carrier, a shovel rigidly secured to the lower end of said carrier and guide rail engaging means carried by the upper end of said carrier and adapted to travel in said guide rails, said shovel carrier being pivotally connected at a suitable point intermediate-the ends of said carrier to the free ends of the controlling arms, and actuating means secured to the upper end of said shovel carrier for moving the guide rail engaging means along the redetermined path of said guide rails.

2. A mine car loading apparatus as set forth in claim 1, in which said actuating means comprises a hoist drum carried by said frame structure, an air motor geared to said hoist drum and a flexible member having one end secured to the upper end of said shovel carrier and the other end arranged to be wound around said hoist drum. Y

3. Amine car loading appartus as set forth in claim 1, in which said actuating means comprises a hoist drum carried by said frame structure, a cable chain having one end secured to the upper end of said shovel carrier and the other end arranged to cooperate with said hoist drum, and a reversible motor geared to said hoist drum whereby said cable chain may be wound or un wound on said drum under control for moving said shovel carrier and shovel from the digging to dumping position and vice versa.

4. A mine car loading apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including recoil shock absorbing bumper means carried by the floor of said frame struc ture engageable with the upper ends of said shovel carrier for limiting the length of travel of said carrier, the recoil of said bumper means serving to return the said carrier and shovel to the digging position.

5. A mine car loading apparatus as set forth in claim 1, includin a pair of shock absorbing compression springs mounted on abutments at the lower end of the guide rails, said springs'being engageable with the upper end of said shovel carrier for limting the length of travel of said carrier and shovel to the dumping position and being adapted to initiate return movement of said carrier and shovel to the digging position.

6. A mine car loading apparatus of the mechanically actuated shovel type comprising a frame structure, stationary guide rail members arranged'along the side wallsof said frame structure to extend rearwardly a predetermined'dis. tance and a curve downwardly along a fixed path, a pair of controlling arms having one end mounted on the frame structure to rotate upwardly and rearwardly about a fixed horizontal axis, a shovel carrier, a shovel secured to the lower end thereof and guide rail engaging means mounted on the upper end of said carrier and adapted to travel in said guide rails, said shovel carrier being pivotally connected at a suitable point intermediate the ends of the assembly to the free ends of said controlling arms, and actuating means'secured to the upper end of said shovel carrier for moving the guide rail engaging means along said predetermined path of the guide rails whereby the said upper end of the shovel carrier being moved rearwardly a predetermined distance and downwardly along a fixed path rotates said controlling arms about their fixed horizontal axis and thereby causing the shovel carrier and shovel to rotate about the pivotal connection to the free ends of said controlling arms from its digging position to its inverted dumping position and means for returning said shovel carrier and shovel to the digging position through reverse movement.

7. A mine car loading apparatus of the mechanically actuated shovel type comprising a frame structure, stationary rigid guide rail members mounted over said frame structure to extend from the forward end of said structure rearwardly and downwardly whereby the lower rear end of said rails are terminated adjacent the rear end of said frame structure, a pair of controlling arms having one end mounted on the frame structure to rotate upwardly and rearwardly about a fixed horizontal axis, a shovel carrier, a shovel rigidly secured to the lower end of said carrier and guide rail engaging means carried by the upper end of said carrier and adapted to travel in said guide rails, said shovel carrier being pivotally connected at a suitable point intermediate the ends of said carrier to the free ends of the controlling arms, and actuating means secured to the upper end of said shovel carrier for moving the guide rail engaging means along the predetermined path of said guide rails.

8. A mine car loading apparatus of the mechanically actuated shovel type comprising a base, side members rising from said base and provided with guide rails extending upwardly and forwardly from the rear portion of the base, a pair of controlling arms pivoted to the base to swing about a fixed axis located adjacent and forwardly of said guide rails, a shovel carrier intermediately pivoted to the forward ends of said controlling arms, a shovel rigidly secured to the shovel carrier below the pivotal connection between the shovel carrier and said controlling arms, track engaging means at the upper end of the shovel carrier adapted to travel from the rear to the front ends of the tracks during the shifting of the shovel to a loading position, and from the front to the rear ends of the tracks during shifting of the shovel to an unloading position, and shovel shifting means connected to the shovel carrier and operable to pull the track engaging means of the shovel carrier rearwardly along said tracks to thereby cause the control arms to swing upwardly and rearwardly about their fixed pivotal axis and to cause an accompanying swinging movement of the shovel carrier about its pivotal connections to the control arms whereby the shovel carrier is gradually inverted to dispose the shovel in a dumping position as the track engaging means of the shovel carrier approach the rear ends of the tracks.

9. A mine car loading apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including means operable in the dumping position of said shovel to initiate the forward return movement of the shovel carrier whereby the shovel carrier and shovel are returned to the loading position.

10. A mine car loading apparatus as set forth in claim 8 including resilient compressible means operable in the dumping position of said shovel to initiate the forward return movement of the shovel carrier whereby the shovel carrier and shove] are restored to the loading position.

11. A mine car loading apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which said shovel shifting means includes a flexible member secured to the upper end of said shovel carrier and a power actuated hoist drum about which said flexible member is arranged to be wound around to pull the track engaging means of the shovel carrier rearwardly along said tracks.

JOHN REDINGTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,186,617 Talboys June 13, 1916 1,444,056 Billings et a1 Feb. 6, 1923 1,915,485 Brussolo June 27, 1933 2,077,159 Stoltz Apr. 13, 1937 2,230,755 Littleton Feb. 4, 1941 2,334,835 Nix Nov. 23, 1943 2,398,859 Ruddock Apr, 23, 1946 

